"It's a beautiful place, isn't it?" Keith lightly smiled when he saw the ever so attentive Yingying sneaking glances at the beauty of the Magic City.
"I am just curious because I have never been here before. And yes, Master, this City is almost as beautiful as Sameran."
"Most consider it more beautiful than Sameran." He said and then turned to look at the beautiful green hills and the distant mountains.
When one hears the name 'Magic City' for the first time, they are bound to be skeptical about how it got that name, but as soon as they arrive here, it all makes senses to them. This place was simply magical. And its heritage of over three thousand years, added to its mysticism and made it stand amongst the most ancient cities of the world.
Situated on the other end of Netheria from the Sameran City, with a time-zone difference of +4, this City rarely got the annual snowfall, but despite that it was mostly winter here, with temperatures never exeeding 16 degrees celcius even in summers.
They had already left the main city behind them, and right now, their convoy of five vehicles were on route to the Mourntale Estate that was situated on one of the hills on the outskirts of the Magic City.
"Beautiful, yet deceivingly peaceful." Caesar too brushed his eyes on the beauty of the place, but then lightly smiled and shook his head.
Yingying frowned at his words, but Keith understood what Caesar meant. He had received all the reports of the recent events of the city. The cold war that had been going on for over two decades had only recently ended, leaving the ancient houses that lost it in a dire situation. And the House of Mountale was one of them.
When they came to a stop at the gate of the Mourntale Estate, it was well past noon, but they had made it just in time for Lunch.
After a brief inspection at the gate, the guards allowed the convoy to enter the estate, and soon they arrived the mansion where the Main-Family of the Mourntale House resided.
"Welcome to the House of the Mourntale!"
"It's a pleasure to be here!" Keith looked at the aged man with a light smile, and replied with the same courtesy before straightening his back and extending his hand forward. "Keith Demiliore!" He introduced himself.
The aged man, who looked to be in his late forties, a couple of decades younger than his real age, was quite surprised at the demeanour with which Keith carried himself. But the man masked his surprise well and accepted the handshake.
"Vladimir Mourntale, the Heir to the house of Mourntale."
The guards that had arrived with Keith had already taken their positions, and only Caesar, Yingying, and Victor stood behind Keith.
Caesar took the lead to introduce himself as the Head-Butler of the Demiliore Family, and after Yingying and Victor stated their names, the four of them were invited inside the Mansion by Vladimir.
Keith wore an amused smile as he saw the little kids curiously looking at him and whispering to each other about his group of guests.
The current Head of the House of Mourntale was Alaric, who was the Uncle of Vladimir, and Grandfather of Amelia.
The old man was in a very lively mood today, and so was everyone present in the House of Mourntale. It was not hard to understand the reason behind it.
Caesar had been very straightforward about their intentions when he contacted the House of Mourntale last night, and by the looks of everything, the older generation had already decided to accept Keith's proposal.
And why wouldn't they? The Bride Price they were offering to the House of Mourntale was an astronomical amount, something which they needed terribly to make sure they could raise their next generation under the perfect conditions.
"Amelia has been informed of your arrival, and she will be here in a few minutes." An enthusiastic woman informed him, and Keith knew that she was the wife of Vladimir.
Yingying was faring quite well in this place, Caesar seemed not affected at all by the atmosphere, but Victor was a little overwhelmed.
It was first time for him to see an Ancient Family of Aurors. Everyone here was an Auror and even the children were on their paths to laying the foundations for their future cultivation. Some were still working on their Aura Circulation, and a few were even working on their Body Refinement.
What was astonishing to him was that Alaric was someone who oozed an oppressive feeling that was much stronger than that of Caesar. And Victor knew that Caeser was a Powerhouse of Spirit Profound Realm. Something that really disturbed him was the presence of more than a dozen people here who were just as strong as Yingying. He felt quite weak, but at the same time, he was yearning to free his hands a little and test himself against them.
As a Family of Aurors, those that appreciated strength more than others, Vladimir had already sneakily inspected Keith when they shook their hands, and he was quite happy with what he found.
An 18-year-old at the Peak of Foundation Profound Realm was not considered a Monstrous talent, but Keith would still be considered a decently talented Auror, and it was a welcome surprise for him and his Family.
And of course, Keith knew everything about it.
The Great Hall of the Mourntale Mansion was similar to a Throne Room, with the only difference being the absence of a Throne.
Everyone sat on the carpeted floor, in two rows, with the Older Generation on one side, and the young sitting in front, facing their elders.
There were no servants inside the Mansion, and the ladies of the family were busy setting up the lunch on the short legged long tables set between the two rows.
The dining tradition of the Mourntale Family was completely opposite of what he had been used to. Nobody here ever ate in silence, and the meals usually lasted for nearly two hours with all the talk and chat everyone indulged in.
It was a lively atmosphere, and he welcomed it even if he was not used to it.
"Amelia!"
A little boy excitedly called out a name, which caught everyone's attention, prompting them to look towards the entrance of the hall.
Standing easily at 5 feet and 8 inches tall, the bespectacled girl was quite on the thin side. However, her figure was mostly hidden under the loose sweater that she wore. It not only covered her torso, but also her hips and half of her thighs. Just a look at her was enough for anyone to understand that she did not like showing even an inch of her skin, and by the confidence oozing out of her, it was evident that she had no interest in the opinions of the opposite sex.
Just like everyone else in the family, she too had raven hair, which were tied in a ponytail, and brilliant green eyes that calmly greeted the elders in the Family before settling near Keith as she approched him.
A few elders frowned when they saw that she had put no effort in dressing up well, but none said anything. They were used to her behaviour by now, and those that knew her better were just happy that she even showed up.
Keith smiled lightly when Amelia simply nodded to him before siting at the vacant spot on his left.
Now, any other person would have felt quite awkward at her behavior, where she had simply ignored him, but Keith was someone who knew everything about her. He understood her better than she understood herself. And right at the moment he first laid eyes on her, everything he had read about her in one of the stories in his Dream, was now brilliantly flashing in his mind. He did not miss out on even a single detail of her life.
"Keith Argus Demiliore!" He lightly smiled as he turned to her and offered her his hand.
Amelia too turned to look at him, and as their eyes met, they both felt their hearts skip a beat.
For Keith, it was her beauty and an inexplicable feeling that captivated him, and for Amelia, it was the uncomfortable feeling that she could not escape from his eyes. It was a silly notion that he knew all her secrets, and Amelia brushed it aside and offered her hand to him.
"Amelia Jean Mourntale!"
"A beautiful name..." Keith nodded to her and then simply leaned in, surprising everyone who had been watching them.
Amelia's eyes widened at his action, but she could see that he was not leaning in for a kiss, and so she allowed him to approch her ear.
"I know all your secrets, Princess of Runes." Keith whispered so lightly that only she heard him, but as her heart pounded at his words, it caught the attention of some.
Her mind went black, and she sat there staring in his direction with unfocused eyes. And Keith just flashed her his brilliant smile before adjusting his position and engaging in a chat with the elders once more.
When Amelia finally caught her bearings, she immediately turned on her indifferent persona, and silently sat there, showing no expressions on her face.
No one could have guessed by looking at her that her mind was in complete chaos, and she felt a sinking feeling in her heart. However, as the time passed, and she secretly stole a few glances at Keith, she found herself growing agitatedly curious about him.
A result that Keith was looking forward to.